North & East Texas
Anderson County Commissioners Court approved an ordinance to allow construction of two heliports in the county.
Cherokee County Commissioners Court approved a $2.7 million airport development plan that will begin with extending roads around the airport, taxiway and ramp.
Cooke County Commissioners Court approved a grant of $5,040 to Abigail’s Arms to start a battering intervention and prevention program. Commissioners Court also marked the 50th anniversary of Muenster Memorial Hospital District.
Coryell County Commissioners Court renewed agreements with Milam and McLennan counties to house overflow inmates from Coryell’s crowded jail.
Dallas County Commissioners Court approved a project of $165,000 for outreach to voters regarding the state’s new voter identification law.
Ellis County received two Homeland Security Grants through the Texas Department of Public Safety. In other business, Commissioners Court approved a contract with Swagit Productions of Plano for live video streaming of Commissioners Court meetings.
Johnson County Commissioners Court celebrated the birthday of a former teacher, Sister Herbie Stone, who received her teacher’s certificate from Paul Quinn College and taught in a one-room school in Venus.
Kaufman County Commissioners Court approved a county recovery plan to encourage the rebuilding of homes and businesses after a major disaster. Commissioners Court also issued $31 million in transportation bonds.
Montgomery County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of six new Harley-Davidson motorcycles for $73,602 with the trade-in of five sheriff’s office motorcycles.
Morris County Commissioners Court approved a new communications tower to be erected for $81,159 by Inter-County Communications of Sulphur Springs. The project includes a grant of $63,460.
Panola County Judge David Anderson was named chair of the board of trustees for East Texas Baptist University.
Robertson County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of a drug dog for the sheriff’s office for $8,500.
Shelby County Commissioners Court approved tax abatements for Tenet Health Corp., which plans a $7.8 million emergency medical facility as part of Nacogdoches Medical Center.
Somervell County Commissioners Court voted to deed 7.19 acres of land in Gibbs Industrial Park to Prometheus Solutions, which plans to make at least $1 million in improvements within 18 months with construction of a weapons manufacturing facility.
Titus County Commissioners Court approved $1.8 million in repairs to a bridge on U.S. Highway 271 over the Union Pacific Railroad.
Walker County Commissioners Court awarded a contract of $39,470 to LMC Corp. of Houston to improve security at the district attorney’s office. Walker County also received a federal grant to replace a bridge on Stubblefield Lake Road near the entrance to campgrounds in Sam Houston National Forest.
South Texas
Aransas County Commissioners Court approved projects worth some $1 million for 2014 at Aransas Pathways, including primitive trails, bird drips, pavilions and ponds.
Austin County Commissioners Court approved construction of a new communications tower and base for the sheriff’s office.
Bexar County Commissioners Court approved a $7 million flood control project on the west side of San Antonio at Elmendorf Lake Park.
Brazoria County Commissioners Court approved purchase of 183 acres of land adjacent to the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Airport for airport expansion and economic development.
Burnet County is seeking another company to operate the 592-bed jail after its five-year agreement ended March 31 with LaSalle Southwest Corrections. Commissioners Court also accepted a donation of $17,500 to purchase computer equipment for the sheriff’s office.
Edwards County Commissioners Court approved an agreement with Sutton County Hospital District for a clinic in Rocksprings.
Fayette County Commissioners Court approved a plan for commercial development of an oilfield pipeline training facility by Weishuhn Engineering on 1,942 acres known as Lazy Q Ranch. Fourteen structures will be built, including a septic system, classrooms, housing, and a food preparation area.
Fort Bend County held rededication ceremonies for its historic courthouse after a $5.8 million restoration project on the 105-year-old building. Commissioners Court also voted to refinance $18.8 million in county debt to save more than $2 million, and voted to approve an agreement with the city of Katy for fire protection in certain unincorporated areas of the county.
Hays County Commissioner Will Conley was re-elected chairman of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Jim Hogg County Commissioners Court voted to reopen the nutrition center for seniors after receipt of a federal grant of $55,910.
Kleberg County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of equipment for volunteer firefighters in Riviera and Ricardo.
Lavaca County Commissioners Court approved a project to scan images from about 10,000 courthouse files for $23,839 with Cogniserv of Irving. Lavaca received a grant for the project of $35,000 from the Dickson-Allen Foundation.
San Patricio County Commissioners Court approved reinvestment zones and tax abatements on the LaQuinta Ship Channel for Occidental Chemical and Dupont, which plans a $150 million plant with groundbreaking in 2015 and start-up in 2016.
Uvalde County Commissioners Court received a grant of $500,000 from the Texas Department of Agriculture for the Colonia Construction Fund to replace on-site septic systems at Uvalde Estates and Utopia.
Victoria County Commissioners Court approved a project led by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority to study logjams in rivers and creeks in the region that are causing flooding. Also, Commissioners Court added a fourth online recording system, PropertyInfo Corp. of San Antonio, for real estate documents.
Waller County Commissioners Court authorized $5 million in certificates of obligation for the remodeling of county facilities.
Willacy County Commissioners Court approved plans to use $2 million in wind farm revenue from Duke Energy to help fund a multimillion-dollar sports complex and events center on 50 acres of land. Another $60,000 in wind farm revenue will help fund a Boys and Girls Club, and the county will donate $250,000 for lights at a city Pony League field in Raymondville.
Williamson County Commissioners Court banned the use of electronic cigarettes inside and outside county buildings.
Wilson County Commissioners Court issued $8.5 million in certificates of obligation to fund renovation and stabilization of the courthouse and courthouse annex.
West Texas
Andrews County Commissioners Court approved a contract of approximately $1.2 million with NC Sturgeon of Midland for a commercial hangar for a pipeline patrol business at the county airport. The facility of 15,600 square feet is expected to cost $800,000, including a grant of $300,000 from Andrews Economic Development Council.
Cochran County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of new video systems for sheriff’s office vehicles for $48,915 from Watch Guard, and hardware replacement for the county jail for $60,100 from Southern Folger.
Crockett County Commissioners Court accepted a bid of $255,000 from Lopez Construction for a new animal control building.
Donley County Commissioners Court approved a contract of $30,091 with Texas Panhandle Cyber Medics for a new security system for the jail, courthouse, and courthouse annex.
El Paso County Commissioners Court authorized the sheriff’s office to accept a federal grant of $1.25 million to pay for 10 school resource officers.
Hall County received provisional approval for its hazard mitigation plan from the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The plan also covers Etelline, Lakeview, Memphis and Turkey.
Lubbock County Commissioners Court voted to purchase property in Lubbock for $696,960 for expansion of EMS maintenance facilities.
Nolan County Commissioners Court gave its approval for a new 300-acre rail terminal near Sweetwater by Fort Worth-based USA Rail Terminals, which has served the oil and gas industry across the United States for about 20 years.
Pecos County Commissioners Court approved the purchase of 22 laptop computers and docking stations for $74,808 from COPsync for vehicles of the sheriff’s department to enable the department to share data with other agencies.
Presidio County Commissioners Court approved a reinvestment zone for SunPower, which is proposing a 300-acre solar power plant of 50 megawatts near Marfa.
Schleicher County accepted the donation of a sound system valued at $7,560 for the civic center from Eldorado Game Association. – Compiled by Garner Roberts